Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

Today I was out sitting in a parking lot when I see what I think to be a lotus drive in. But it didn't really look like a lotus, the styling was wrong. After a few seconds I realized that it was a Tesla Roadster. I was waiting to sell something to a member of the local scooby club so I was still sitting there when the owner came back out of the store.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1251922977.jpg

I'm always nervous to make comments because I've had owners of really nice cars be total assholes when you try to give their car a compliment. But I decided to say something anyway since I've never seen one of these things in person. What happened next made me totally speechless for a few seconds. (Not an easy thing to do). The exchange went something like this:


Me: Hey, awesome car. I've never seen one in person, you just made my day
Him: Thanks, I love it..... Hey, you wanna go for a ride?
Me:...........................uuhh um uh.....yes?


It was longer than that, but my memory is a bit fuzzy out of shock. If Bill Gates had walked up to me and handed me $1000 cash I don't think I would have been any more shocked than I was at the owner asking me if I wanted to go for a spin.


So my impressions... HOLY **** that car is fun. Instant torque and totally silent. I know these things, but it never really clicked until today when I got to experience it. That car is fast. It's defiantly not for large people though.

I've had a huge stupid smile plastered on my face all afternoon though. The owner was super nice and said something like "Hey, why have a car like this if people can't enjoy it."


That's the end of my story. I just had to come somewhere to gloat!

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

GREAT STORY:D

I've seen a few of these around LA, commuting between Santa Monica and Malibu on the PCH. Lots of nice cars on that route, but the Tesla is the only one I felt the need to yell at the driver my appreciation for their ride. The guy was gracious, and said "Yeah, she's a lot of fun". We crawled forward in the stop and go traffic side by side for a while, and I listened to it's tire sound as it rolled forward as if by magic.

My best Tesla story comes from a couple of years back, before their release. I was at a wedding rehearsal dinner for some friends in San Jose. I was on my typical "I hate the Prius/ Tesla is going to save the world" rants to someone in the groom's family who'd rented a Prius for the weekend and hated it as well. Suddenly the bride came rushing up and told me to "Stop talking right now!" Assuming I'd pissed someone off, I awkwardly stood there in silence until she came back dragging her father by the arm. Turns out he is an engineer working for Tesla at their head office, and joined me in my rant. He was impressed by my knowledge of the car, and I told him I was an unofficial salesman for Tesla and they should put me on the payroll.

Two days later at the wedding, her dad gave me a Tesla embroidered Polo shirt as a consolation for not being salaried. I love it.

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

I ended up following one of these cars on my way to work one morning. I love them. :)

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

Is that a carbon fiber splitter resting on the curb? Ouch.

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

Bad picture, it was actually an inch or so above the curb. Still risky though.

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

Great story! Thanks for sharing! :D

Re: Yet more awesome dumb luck...
 

I saw one of those in Portland a few weeks ago when I was up there for Subaru new model year training.

I rented a Prius from my work for my honeymoon and drove it like I stole it and got 48 MPG, so I really can't complain too much, although I could get a loaded TDI Jetta for a lot less and get the same mileage. They're awesome in freeway traffic though.